


Cleanse my Soul

by Plechka



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Space fic, although I'm not opposed to writing a smutty version of this later, and this will DEFINITELY not happen in the show, because everyone loves sharing, despite the prompt it's not smutty, i'm sorry about that, plus they really need to conserve water, shared bath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 06:37:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12953478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plechka/pseuds/Plechka
Summary: Phil gets Melinda a turn to use a bathtub in space and she wants to share the experience with him.





	Cleanse my Soul

**Author's Note:**

> I had mentioned the idea of a shower/bath sharing fic to the amazing StudioCapsicum and she wrote an incredible shower fic that was perfect for this prompt. She encouraged me to write my own version and this is what came out. It's much longer than I anticipated, but it was really fun to write. 
> 
> This wasn't beta'd so I apologize for any mistakes and typos you find.

Phil checked his tokens and his heart leapt with joy. It had been weeks since the plan formed in his mind and now he’d finally be able to execute it. He was positively giddy. His weary muscles screamed as he ran to the market, dying to make the trade that he had been saving so long for.

 

Most of the tables at the marketplace were bustling, the primitive economy was thriving at this particular time. The one he approached, however, was empty. Near a corner, an older woman sat with a notebook and a pen, dozing off. As Phil got near her, he could tell that she smelled faintly of lavender and he smiled. Yes, this would be perfect.

 

“Give me 30 minutes as soon as possible,” Phil said as he extended his right arm, offering his metric for reading. The woman opened her eyes, scanning the crowd and focusing on the dirty man in front of her.

 

“I really didn’t think you’d be back,” the woman chuckled, “but I’m glad you are. You really need this!” She opened her notebook and leafed through it calmly. Finding an available appointment, “Oh, yes. Cherry. You’ll really enjoy those 30 minutes,” she said with a glint in her eye.

 

“When?” Phil was trying to contain his excitement, but he felt like those eyes could see right through him.

 

“Today at 1300 hours. Go to the east wing, behind the showers. Give the guard the password and tell him that you have an appointment for... “ she paused, raising her eyebrow in question.

 

“Melinda,” he said without hesitation.  

 

“You don’t strike me as a _Melinda_ ,” there was amusement in her voice, but also curiosity.

 

“It’s not for me. This is a gift,” Phil suddenly felt the color rise to his cheeks and he looked away from the searching eyes of the old woman. She must have been in her 70’s and he began to wonder how she had survived so long in the lighthouse, especially when they had killed the elders a few years before.

 

Her eyes opened wide, “I’ve been doing this for decades and this is the first time someone does something like this.” She eyed Phil appraisingly, taking in his disheveled state and the dirt caked into his face and hands. “Are you sure? You could really use this.”

 

“Completely.” His determination was unwavering--this was something he had been planning for weeks. As tempting as it was to take this for himself, he knew Melinda needed it more. His heart warmed as he thought of the woman he loved. Yes, this was exactly what he wanted.

 

***

Melinda was on the floor, stretching her left leg carefully, feeling the tissue tugging on the now closed wound on her thigh. Her mobility was still impaired, but at least she was no longer in danger of infection. The pain was familiar and even comforting as she realized it was slowly receding as she regained use of her muscles. She was taking deep breaths, coordinating her movements to minimize the pain and control her stretching.

 

As she exhaled, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her room and she fought to suppress a smile. There was no mistaking those puttering steps as they tentatively stopped outside her door. She could almost picture his fist rising to knock, suspended in the air for a few seconds while he found the courage. When the knocking finally came, she answered quickly and as cheerfully as she could allow herself.

 

“Come in!”

 

As soon as Phil came into view, Melinda felt her smile widen. He was already grinning as he stepped inside, the expression erasing the years and making his dirty face look handsome and warm. She longed to kiss those smiling lips, but that feeling was nothing new. She licked her lips.

 

“How’s the leg?”

 

“Fine,” at his raised eyebrow, she added, “it’s a little stiff, but that’s not a huge problem. It gets a little better every day.”

 

“Good to hear.” The smile on his face got wider and she began to suspect he was hiding something. There was a tote bag slung over one of his shoulders and her curiosity became too strong.

 

“Spill it.”

 

“I know something that will make it better.”

 

Her heart skipped a beat. Ever since their arrival at the lighthouse, the two of them had been growing closer to each other. Not only emotionally, but also _physically_ closer. They touched more than they ever had before and she loved every time their shoulders bumped, every time they brushed against each other. A couple of weeks ago, as she struggled to stretch her injured leg, Phil had suggested a massage. His hands were pure magic as they worked on the tired and injured muscles around her wound. She hadn’t felt that good in years. Since then, Phil got in the habit of coming to her room every day after work to offer his services. Melinda had tried--she really did--to say no, but she simply wasn’t strong enough. His hands _did_ feel wonderful on her bruised and sore leg and he seemed only too happy to help.

 

Her skin started tingling as she thought of what he was likely suggesting.

 

“What’s that?” She asked coyly.

 

“It’s a surprise. Come with me.” He extended his hand toward her to help her stand up and he laughed when he noticed her confused expression. “It’s a good surprise, I promise. Now c’mon, we can’t be late.”

 

Melinda was a little disappointed she wasn’t getting a massage, but her curiosity quickly pushed that thought out, focusing instead on what Phil could be planning. She took his hand and stood gingerly, as her leg still sent shooting pain through her nerves every time she put her full weight on it. Before she could say anything, Phil was standing next to her, his arm wrapped around her waist as he pulled her toward the door. On principle she wanted to shrug him off, say she could walk on her own. But the contact with his body was filling her body with warmth and was tempted to cling to him. She settled her arm around his shoulders, enjoying the feel of his muscles under the thin shirt he was wearing.

 

Within a couple of minutes, it was apparent they were walking toward the East wing of the Lighthouse and she really began to wonder what he was planning. This wing was older than the others on this level, having been built a few years earlier when the lighthouse was being planned as a posh space colony and not the prison it became. Currently, almost nothing remained of the original plans, but here and there one could see details that gave away that grandiose past. When they turned the corner to head to the showers, Melinda began to really wonder about Phil’s plans.

 

To say the shower facilities were spartan was an understatement. There were rows upon rows of spigots high along the walls, each spewing a cold to lukewarm spray depending on the unpredictable moods of the water heating system. There were no partitions, no segregation between men and women, adults and children. Everyone lined up outside, undressed while in line, and was entitled to two minutes under the spray every two days. Soap, shampoo, and towels were luxuries most didn’t have access to. Melinda hated those showers--feeling that exposed in front of so many strangers didn’t appeal to her generally reserved character--but there was at least one thing she didn’t mind about them.

 

Phil always showered with her.

 

In fact, Phil almost never left her side. Other than the time spent at their respective jobs, they spent all their time together and Melinda had come to crave that intimacy that had developed between them. In the showers, they’d stand close to each other, protecting one another from prying eyes and watching out for threats. While it was true that they had seen each other naked many times before, Melinda didn’t get tired of seeing Phil in all his glory. The physical nature of his work in the mines had done wonders for his already defined muscles and she found herself particularly enjoying his broad chest and shoulders. It took all her self control not to run her hands through his body as he used his homemade soap to rinse off the grime and sweat from his weary body.

 

She shuddered thinking they were going into the showers. It was their day to shower, but they usually did it later in the day. Also, she wasn’t sure how a shower was supposed to help with her pain--normally she tensed up during their allotted two minutes, intensifying the stiffness of the muscles around her injured leg.

 

Instead of lining up along the wall outside the showers, Phil went through the door and headed for the back right corner. There was a big metal door that Melinda had never seen opened before. He knocked seven times, using a particular arrangement of long and short sounds that reminded her of morse code. The door opened and a big man stepped out to meet them, holding a notebook in his hands.

 

“She’s here for a 1300 appointment for Melinda,” Phil said while pointing toward Melinda with his left hand. His right still wrapped around her waist.

 

“Let me see,” the man scanned the notebook entries until he found what he was looking for, “yes, here it is. You may both come in.”

 

“But the appointment is just for her. I was told only one person could go in at a time,” his confusion was palpable and Melinda gave his hand a squeeze, still not knowing exactly what was happening.

 

“That’s right, but the madame is making an exception for you two. She said she was moved by your selfless act. Plus,” the guard looked a Phil from head to toe, “she thought you could really use it.”

 

Melinda looked at the guard and at Phil, trying to decipher what they were talking about, but she was drawing a blank. When Phil noticed the look on her face, he leaned over and whispered, “I’ll explain everything inside.” His breath tickled her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

 

The guard stepped aside and led them inside. The first thing Melinda noticed were the white and blue tiles lining the walls. No trace of the dirty metal that covered the rest of the ship. The room, roughly half the size of the shower room, had six bathtubs, lined up next to each other along the furthest wall from the door. Each narrow tub was filled to the brim with hot water, steam rushing from the surface, thick enough to almost shield the head of its occupant.

 

Melinda’s muscles began to relax just thinking about soaking her aching body in that water. She couldn’t remember the last time she had taken a bath, but she knew it must have been years. Phil stiffened next to her.

 

“They are all occupied. I was told she’d have a 1300 hours time slot.” His voice was hard and she knew he was channeling all his authority into his words.

 

“Very observant,” said the guard as he continued walking toward the back of the room. Reaching a door in a dark corner, the guard opened it by placing a large paw over the scanning screen. The door slid open noiselessly and the guard stepped aside to admit Phil and Melinda into a small room. Inside, they could see a rectangular tub, at least twice as large as the ones outside, filled and steaming. A shower head hung precariously over the head of the tub. There were no other furnishings in the room. After Phil and Melinda stepped inside, the guard said, “You have 30 minutes.” He disappeared behind the closed door and suddenly they were alone.  

 

“Phil…” Melinda had no words. She hadn’t known the Lighthouse had bathtubs, but she imagined the privilege wasn’t cheap. Phil must have spent a lot of tokens to get them here.  

 

“Melinda, you can go ahead and relax. I’ll wait for you outside.” He started to release her, but she entwined her fingers through his and kept him from stepping too far away.

 

“Why?” It was one word, but it encompassed everything she wanted to know. Why this? Why now? Why her?

 

“I know we can’t know what date it is up here, but if we count from the day we were taken on Earth, today would be your birthday. I wanted you to have something nice.” He was holding her gaze, his eyes burning into hers as his hand squeezed hers gently.

 

Melinda smiled brightly at him. She didn’t think anyone would remember--hell, she forgot about it herself most of the time. But Phil never did. Even when he was in the middle of a mission he always made sure she received a present from him on her birthday. He never missed a single one of her birthdays--over two decades and counting.

 

He motioned to the bag he had been holding and pulled out a towel, an uneven bar of soap, and a small bottle. “Here, I brought these for you.”

 

“You mean for ‘us’?” She took in his confused expression and motioned toward the tub, “you are getting in with me. There’s plenty of room and it’s not like we haven’t seen each other naked this week.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Of course. And I agree with the madame, you _do_ need this as much as me.”

 

“Okay, but let’s get moving. We only have 30 minutes and time’s a wastin’!”  

 

They had gotten undressed in front of each other dozens of times during the last few weeks at the Lighthouse, but this felt different. They were alone and there was nowhere to run from their feelings. No distractions, just the occasional sound of a water drop falling from the faucet, sending ripples across the smooth surface of the tub. Melinda began shrugging off her clothes quickly, self conscious of her nakedness. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Phil doing the same thing while looking away from her. She smiled to herself. Of course he’d be a gentleman and give her space.

 

When she was out of her clothes, Melinda made her way to the tub and quickly got inside to cover her naked body. The water was hot, not enough to burn her, but enough to turn her skin red and make her cuts and scrapes sting. She hissed as she settled on one side of the tub and within seconds Phil was by her side asking if she was okay.

 

“Is it too hot? Did you hurt yourself?” His hands were suddenly on her naked shoulders, trying to pull her up, his eyes were glued to hers.

 

“I’m okay. The water is perfect. I just... “ she was going to say that everything was fine again, but she thought better of it. When they had kind of confessed their feelings before coming to space, Melinda resolved never to lie to him again. “Some of my cuts sting a little. But the bath feels wonderful. Now get in here before you catch a cold.” His skin was prickled with goosebumps and she knew he was cold in the chilled air of the room.

 

He moved away from her, looking as self-conscious as she felt, and she had to suppress the urge to hug him close. He stepped carefully into the water near her feet and Melinda wished he were closer, the need to touch his skin becoming stronger with each passing heartbeat. His eyes closed and he released a sigh of pleasure as he let the water cover his tired body. Melinda decided to follow his example and let her eyes close to enjoy the warmth that enveloped her. She had never been one to take baths--too impractical and much less efficient than showers--but she found herself thoroughly enjoying herself in that bathtub.

 

The sound of Phil taking a deep breath woke her from her reveries and she opened her eyes in time to see his head disappear under the no longer pristine water. He stayed under for around 30 seconds and emerged, skin reddened and smiling at her. Had her heart not been already in liquid form, it would have melted at the sight. He reminded her of a child in his enjoyment of the bath and she wished she could run her hands through his hair and kiss the drops of water on his face.

 

He reached out of the tub and grabbed the homemade bar of soap and the small bottle, offering both to her. “Here, I made you a special bar of soap and I was able to find a small bottle of conditioner for your hair. No shampoo, though. Sorry.”

 

She took the soap and conditioner from his hands and felt her heart swell. He had really pulled all the stops for this present. She had heard that some entrepreneurial spirits figured out a way to craft conditioner from some of the materials the Kree provided them, but she heard it was extremely rare and costly. As she held the bar of soap Phil made her, she noticed it was scented. That was a first--all the soap Phil made for them in the Lighthouse was only designed to keep them clean. No frills, no colors, no scents. This bar smelled like lavender and Melinda appreciated the luxurious texture that was far superior to the others he had made. The team had made fun of Phil for his soap-making skills for approximately one minute after he appeared with bars of soap for the first time; after that, they kept their mouths shut and gladly used his products on shower days. She knew he was making extra bars to barter for other necessities, but until now she had no idea what he was obtaining in return.

 

She applied the soap slowly, savouring the sensation of bar sliding effortlessly across her skin. Phil’s eyes were trained on her, following her movements as if in a trance. Melinda gathered all the courage she could and she stood from the tub, letting the soapy water cascade down her naked form. His eyes were fixed on hers, but she could tell he was taking in her body from his peripheral view. She took two small steps in his direction and gingerly lowered herself in front of him, turning her back to him as he spread his legs to allow her to sit between them. Leaning forward, she handed him the bar of soap and asked, “Could you get my back?”

 

He took the soap from her hand, but it took him a few seconds to begin lathering her back. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensations that coursed through her body at his touch. Using his usual attention to detail, he was very thorough, making sure he covered every inch of her skin exposed to him. Melinda kept her eyes closed and her head slumped forward as he worked, the water partially covering her shoulder blades. He set down the soap and before she could process the loss of contact, he cupped water in his hands and gently let it run over her back, rinsing her smooth skin. He used his hands to rub the soap from the skin under the water, chuckling when he heard the moan that escaped her mouth.

 

Intending to hear it again, he began to knead the sore muscles of her shoulders, moving his palms over her spine to improve her posture before continuing. Melinda could only hum in appreciation. He continued massaging her back for a few minutes, neither of them saying a word but both openly enjoying the contact. Finally, as his hands dropped from her back, she couldn’t suppress the whine that issued from her lips.

 

Moments later, she felt water pouring over her head, getting her hair wet. She raised her chin, looking up and giving him better access to her tresses. Phil’s sud-covered hands followed the path of the water, slowly massaging her scalp and washing away all remnants of dirt and sweat from her mane. Melinda heard a sound much like a purr start at the back of her throat, but she didn’t care if he could hear it. His fingers felt amazing and she was more relaxed than she had been in a long time.

 

Soon, Phil was pouring more water over her hair, rinsing the lavender soap while he ran his hands through the now clean strands. She heard him fumble with the small bubble before his hands were back to her hair, rubbing the homemade conditioner on the tips and working through the worst tangles with infinite patience. Melinda had the sudden realization that this was the most intimate moment she had shared with anyone in her life--there were no walls and no masks, they were naked in every sense of the word. She trusted him completely in that moment and she knew he did too.

 

“The lady I got this from told me you should keep it on there for a few minutes before rinsing. It’s a bit impractical when you only have two minutes to shower, but it shouldn’t be a problem here.”

 

Melinda sighed in response and fought the urge to lay back onto his chest. Carefully, she stood and returned to her side of the tub, immediately missing Phil’s body heat. His hands started to move over his body, trying to scrub the dirt caked onto his skin with nothing but the water over his fingers.

 

“Use the soap. I know you made it for me, but I want you to smell good too,” she said with a smile that he reciprocated.

 

“Yeah, I must smell terrible!” Phil washed his body efficiently while avoiding eye contact with Melinda.

 

“Phil, come here. I’ll get your back. It’s only fair after you got mine.”

 

He looked at her, unsure of how to proceed. Finally, he decided to crawl toward her, keeping his lower extremities under the water that was getting murkier the longer their bath went on. Just like he had done, Melinda opened her legs wide and he settled between them and facing away from her.  

 

She took her time lathering his back, enjoying the feel of the rippling muscles at her fingertips. Thinking of the kind of work he did at the mines, she knew that his shoulders and arms were likely sore and stiff, so she began to gently dig into his back to release some of the tension. She felt him relax under her expert fingers and she smiled as he began purring in time with her touch. The biggest scar on his back brought back memories of his death, and she leaned forward to plant a kiss over the jagged skin before resting her forehead against his shoulder blades. She wrapped her arms around his chest and she felt his hands cover her own, pressing her arms against him. They held each other in silence for what seemed like both an eternity and a brief moment until they heard a loud knock on the door that brought them back to their unforgiving reality.

 

“You’ve got five more minutes! Make sure you are out of the bath and dressed before I come back, I’ve got to prepare the room for the next appointment.”

 

Phil reached forward, groping underwater for the stopper until he found it and pulled it to empty the tub. As the small whirlwind began to suck away the murky water, they both stood up. Phil instinctively went to steady her as she wobbled slightly on her feet and she gave him a full smile for his efforts. His concern was heartwarming and she felt giddy every time she noticed him worrying about her wellbeing. Turning away from her, Phil turned on the shower head and they were both suddenly standing under a strong, warm spray very different from the one they experienced in the normal showers. To avoid water and time waste, they both stepped forward under the spray, rapidly rinsing their skin from the lavender scented soap and the last remnants of the grime they had carried with them into the tub.

 

Phil looked at Melinda in question as he raised his hands to her hair and she nodded, silently accepting his offer. Turning her back to him, she closed her eyes to focus on both the water falling over her skin and the hands that were running through her hair, rinsing out the conditioner and shaking out the last tangles. He was standing so close to her that she could feel his chest barely caressing her back and the sensation was intoxicating. When he finished, he planted a soft kiss on her right shoulder and she raised her hand to hold his head in place, savoring the contact. His hands slipped around her waist and came to rest on her stomach, holding her back to his chest and spreading warmth all over her body. She turned in his embrace and placed her arms around his neck as she looked up to him, their faces merely an inch away. His eyes darted between her eyes and her lips and she took matters into her own hands by standing on her toes to close that final distance between them, tearing the last of their walls down in the process.

 

The kiss was chaste and sweet, but it would have deepened quickly if they hadn’t heard another knock at the door announcing they only had one more minute in there. They both sighed loudly, but they didn’t immediately break their embrace. Phil bent down to place another kiss on her lips before moving away from her to stop the shower. He helped her climb out of the tub, being particularly careful with her injured leg, and they both quickly dried up and got dressed again.

 

Before they could leave the room, Phil pulled her toward him and kissed her deeply. She melted into the kiss, snaking her arms around his neck, bringing him closer. As they parted, both breathless and their lips swollen, he whispered, “Happy Birthday, Mel.”

 

All she could think, before the door to the room opened and they were confronted by the guard once more, was that despite being stuck in space, living in a bleak future, this was the happiest birthday she had had in years. And it was still early in the day; she couldn’t wait to see what the rest of the day would bring.

  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think--I love hearing from you. Thanks again to StudioCapsicum for talking through this idea with me and encouraging me to write it.


End file.
